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Cover-ups 'rife' in private jails
by Tony Koch
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17411241%255E2702,00.html
THE bonus and penalty system on which private prisons in Australia are run has been
accused of encouraging operators to cover up riots and drug abuse by prisoners.
Queensland Prison Officers Association secretary Brian Newman yesterday accused
private prison operators of covering up incidents in their facilities that could
threaten performance bonuses worth up to $500,000 a year.
"Nine years ago I worked at Arthur Gorrie (Correctional Centre at Wacol, west of
Brisbane) and I would make drug finds but the drugs would be flushed down the toilet
in front of me by senior officials," Mr Newman said.
"You were powerless to do anything about it.
"Anecdotal evidence given to me is that it still goes on today. There is no incentive
for privately run prisons to report incidents."
The management contract of Arthur Gorrie operator, the GEO Group, formerly known as
Australasian Correctional Management, with the Queensland Government provides a
$500,000 performance bonus to prevent crime, drug abuse and riots.
The Arthur Gorrie contract, a copy of which has been obtained by The Australian, says
the $500,000 bonus will be reduced by $100,000 for each escape, "loss of control
(riot)" or death in custody.
Penalties of $25,000 are also imposed for a string of problems such as discharging a
prisoner in error, assaults by prisoners resulting in injury or a case of self-harm
or attempted suicide.
Other incidents that incur the $25,000 penalty include serious industrial injuries,
deliberately lit fires, major security breaches such as attempted escapes or
hostage-taking and loss of high-risk restricted articles.
If random urine tests disclose that drug use in the prison is higher than 9 per cent
and does not reduce towards the target of 4per cent, the penalty applicable is also
$25,000.
The bonuses and penalty provisions are the same for the contracts the GEO Group, the
Australian subsidiary of the Miami-based Wackenhut, has with the Victorian and NSW
governments to run the Melbourne Custody Centre and the Fulham and Junee prisons.
Mr Newman said his association had asked the Queensland Government to conduct an
inquiry into allegations by staff at Arthur Gorrie that "incidents" had been covered
up "to avoid financial penalty to breach of contract".
GEO Group is paid almost $800 a week for each of the 710 prisoners housed at Arthur
Gorrie.
The contract also spells out the "principles underlying care and security" for
immigration detention centres. Some state-run prisons are used to temporarily house
people on immigration charges until they are processed and sent to centres such as
Villawood in western Sydney and Baxter in South Australia.
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said yesterday that until 2003,
ACM ran all six immigration detention centres, but the contract had been taken over
by Global Solutions Limited, an unrelated company.
A spokesman for Queensland Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence yesterday
confirmed that contracts for privately run prisons did provide for performance
bonuses.
"However, we are not able to confirm amounts or any details on payments or deductions
regarding the bonuses as these matters are commercial in confidence," he said. Col
Kelaher, GEO Group executive manager of operations, said he could not comment on the
contract with the Government.
"However, there is no substance to the allegations about not reporting incidents," he
said. "We are very closely monitored by the department and by auditors and there is
now a new role of Inspector of Prisons which inspects public and private facilities."
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I intend to last long enough to put out of business all *****-suckers
and other beneficiaries of the institutionalized slavery and genocide.
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"The army that will defeat terrorism doesn't wear uniforms, or drive
Humvees, or calls in air-strikes. It doesn't have a high command, or
high security, or a high budget. The army that can defeat terrorism
does battle quietly, clearing minefields and vaccinating children. It
undermines military dictatorships and military lobbyists. It subverts
sweatshops and special interests.Where people feel powerless, it
helps them organize for change, and where people are powerful, it
reminds them of their responsibility." ~~~~ Author Unknown ~~~~
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